Through the Wilderness (aka “Go, Go, Go!”)

Looking back at Katahdin from the Penobscot River at Abol Bridge…
…which marks the Northern boundary of the 100 Mile Wilderness (cue dramatic sign):
We quickly learned that “trails” in Maine are something altogether ridiculous.
Yay! We’re hiking again!
Our first campsite was just up the hill from Rainbow Lake at Rainbow Spring
Wildlife 1:
Moose frequent the AT. This is the more pleasant trace they leave…
Small human? With claws?!
Rainbow Stream Lean-To…
…complete with trail-crew totem pole
These boats were just sort of sitting there. Crescent Lake
Our first mountain as viewed from our second mountain. (Mt. Nesuntabunt)
The BEST campsite I’ve ever seen. Lake + beach + dark night sky…
Plus LOONS!
And a BEACH FIRE!
And then the ‘trail’ became a trail for a while!
These boardwalks keep hikers safely elevated above waist-deep mud holes
The Big K over a boggy pond
Potaywadjo Spring. In wet weather the spring bubbles up into this pool. But it was too dry..
Antlers Campsite…
…and it’s creative canoe paddles
Lake/Sky drama: very Maine-ish
More drama
This bridge was newer than our guidebook. We crossed quite a few logging roads along the way.
Halfway to Monson!
Scary hornet’s nest. We decided not to camp here…
Food?
Shelter trash, artfully arranged for effect.
Whitecap Mountain, the highest in the 100-Mile Wilderness…
…that we climbed with the help of a bunch of really nice steps…
Typical feeding frenzy
A pleasant ankle-deep ford of the Pleasant River’s West Branch
Our shoes don’t look so new anymore (still blue & yellow, sadly…)
Part of the fire tower on Barren Mountain…
And the rest of it a little lower down…
Surveying the horizon
It’s always fall somewhere…
This is Caley’s favorite: we had a really tough day getting to Monson. A few hours earlier we were considering staying another night and hiking out in the morning…
…Fortunately we made it out just in time for some absolutely amazing Barbecue – happy hiker hunger everyone!
From a boot advertisement…